How to Prevent Acne

Nothing is worse than waking up in the morning to 

find out a large pimple on your face!

Source: Illustration by cheerfulnuts

We all get acne at some point in our life. The breakout of acne is often noticeable during puberty, but adults may have acne problems too. It’s hard to pinpoint the real cause of acne.  Genetics, hormones, and some dietary factors yet to be determined might play a role.

 

What is Acne?

Before I go into details how to prevent acne, you should first understand how it develops. Our skin has pores with hair follicles. Our skin naturally has oil to act as a natural barrier. The sebaceous glands are responsible for the oil or sebum production. Sometimes, these glands produce more sebum than necessary. The sebum, plus the dead skin cells, gets clogged in the pores. A trapped sebum leads to the formation of whiteheads or blackheads. Sometimes they go away by themselves, gradually releasing the trapped substances. At other times, rupture occurs along the follicular wall, leading to inflammation. Red bump starts to appear around the pore. A bump on the surface that gets infected is called a pimple, whereas a blockage that occurs deep in the pore becomes a cyst.

Product Review: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream

I've never tried anything from Kiehl's before. The first time I entered their shop was during my search for a hair product. I got turned off immediately because of the expensive price. However, during my trip to Singapore with friends, I found myself again inside a Kiehl's store. My friends highly recommended their products, and so I got convinced to buy my first Kiehl's item - a Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream for SGD 48.00.

(See more updated reviews below.)

Physical and Chemical Sunscreen

Photo: eltaMD , a combination of both physical and 

chemical sunscreen (Source: Amazon)

What's the use of all the promising skin care products if you don't apply sunscreen? After all, it's the sun's harmful UV rays that give you sunburn, dark spots, age spots, and premature wrinkles. Dabbing on some antioxidants on your skin would only give little help if you don't prevent the culprit that has been causing your skin problems in the first place.

Sunscreens are also particularly very useful to people using acne medications such as myself. Topical acne treatment such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid make the skin more sensitive to the sun. Also, sun exposure promotes hyperpigmentation, leading to further darkening of acne marks.

Sunscreens for Oily Skin

In my previous post, I've given out five tips when it comes to choosing a sunscreen, so if you have no idea on how to choose a sunscreen, you might want to check this blog post first.

Once you get the general idea of the do's and don'ts of choosing a sunscreen, shopping for a sunscreen can become a breeze, especially if you have normal skin type. However, if you have sensitive skin, a closer look at the ingredients list is a must! You should know if the sunscreen contains physical or chemical UV filters. Certain ingredients may trigger an allergic reaction, such as fragrances and colorings. 

If you have oily skin type, you should watch out for comedogenic ingredients. For aesthetic reasons, you may also want a sunscreen which is less greasy and matte. It's a challenge as many sunscreens are greasy and sticky, some of the ingredients may also clog the pores and trigger a breakout.